New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-04-13
THE CROSBY BILL VETOED,
TWO OBJECTIONS RAISED BY GOV. HILL.


SUPPORTED BY THE ArroRSEY-cENsRAL IN DE.
cLARISa PORTION OF THE MEASURE UScox-
sTTTUTIoNAL-TExr OF THE MESSAGE.
ALBANY. April IL tSpecial. - Governor Hill
vetoed the New-York and Brooklyn High License
bill tonight, sending his veto message to the As
semby, together with opinions by Attorney-aen.
eral OBr1en and George Z. Comstock, ex-Judgo of
the Court Of Appeals Two veto messages the same
day 10 the interest of the liquor dealcra
would seem t. show concluslvely that
tho. Governor is indeed their "one friend"
He has put the Democratic parsy in sts oldtime at
titude of favoring unrestricted liquor selling The
assembly received ths message calmly as it was
read. Mr.. Crosby then made the usual motion that
the veto message be laid on the tabe. Mr. Sbeehan
the Democratic leader. cried out: Read the ap-
uendix also" The Speaker rep led: "The message
has been read down TO the Governors signature.
That is sufficient" 1--WE had an appendix this
morning." said Mr. Erwin referring to the other
veto. Mr. Sheehan was not gratifed and the
Assembly then adopted Mr. Crosbys motion. The
Republicans will attempt to pass the bill over the
Governor svetO tomorrow. They will fail, of course,
as the Democrats will sustain the Governor but
party record will be made. The Governor declares
that two fatal objections to the bill render
it's approval impossible. One of them is that
the measure applies only to New-York and
Brooklyn, thus imposing an unequal burden on
the citizens of the State" "The second objection
to this measure" he says, is that portion Of its
provisions are clearly unconstitutional" The
message is given in full below, with the exception
of two tables:
There two fatal objections this bill which render
its approval impossble:
c laws as % raT .S to s Cities Of
York and Brooklyn All the other cities Of the State
rendered Objectionable and this done mad
yertently but deliberately aud Intentionally That IN.
reading Of the bill in the Assembly, it amended for
the avowed purpose Of rendering certain that Its pro-
o''
and Injurious and really intended expected
to promote the cause OF temperance II Is difficult to dis
crimlnaton Besides, the record shows that amend
ment was offered in both houses applying the provisions
eos s SSs each s'Vse these was
Voe that the s this was NOT
made at the request Of the immediate OF
1t adopted against the protest OF nneteDths OF tbes
s is
ions for In behalf Of her own localities The ques
ssh wScn is appareny 90 partial in
and dsngenuous should be permitted to 2en
Samuel J. Tilden elected Governor Of this State In
1874. by more than ttty thousand majority, upon
aud equitable excise lava" For many years this has
been the controlling and settled policy Of tho State.
law substantially alike in all essential particulars In its
application to every part Of the state But by the terms
lawful IN the interior are made crimes in the cities Of
New-YOrk and Brooklyn For all other cities the maxi
mum, well the minimum license fee is prescribed
by statute but by the peculiar proyi ions Of this act.
only the miain fee Is fixed for New YORK ana Brosx
cities other than New-York and Brooklyn may procure
fully Keep on hand intoxicating liquors. while ia
these two cities the same act constitutes crime aud for
for his dSor license sum not less than thirty noe
than two hundred and fifty dollars IN these cities
more as the board Of excise in its discretion wh!m
price MAJ see Mt to charge and this Irrespective q @s
These distinctions do not to be based upon asy In
telgent just Or equisabs considerations and are ut
The excise law, like every other law Of the st.t:
be substantially uniform throughout the State Ihis
does not require that n all t minor details should hs
cities OF NewYorx and Brooklyn butt does thAs
In these cities its restrictive provisions should certainly
try~s penal provisions should be uniform and in al
its essential il should be applicable % Il.
burden on the citizens of tie State Equatyoequalty
Sardon Of right Is and he ptssss esrsSs Sdcrns se'ei
prnspss % ,s Of I'm Rsp"Sein
efs s rsay
license fee with view to revene Is an exercise OF iao
pGMet He baen Si being unequal tn the b is nnscay nm
just No good reason exists why a heavier exas,ioa
than upon the saoon-keeper in Buffalo IL cannot bo
pretended that the business OF the former necessarily
Sranscnness greater evil in NewYorS than in Bao
Suppose higher license fee exacted of the lawyer.
York. would all admit the inequality of the burdens
the measure be an evil Newfork ana d BroomSn
NewYork and Brooklyn should not monopoizc Its advzn-
As before stated license fee is a imposed by tho
State and like other tax, should be just ana
tax tolerated
applicable to the whole state aud based upon no
would not be open to the criticisms here suggested
general statute fixing reasonable minimum license fee
to charged in every city, and in every town and
village in the state leaving the maximum sum TO be de-
termined by the local authorities everywhere not ca
enactment The United states liquor license
itance special tax is in the cities OF Newyork
and Brooklyn as elsewhere the regulations and penalties
concerning the sale OF oeomargarine are similar every.
where the state the laws in regard to aduerated food
Where else The truth is that no tangible consistent
argument whatever has been advanced why the unass
these two cities should councnanced for moacnt
the number OF licensed places in those was very
portion the number OF their inhabitants there misos
be some plausible preteht or y excuse Tor ths s sa.
fact ON the contrary, the very reverse Is the truth
have procured accurate and official statement from
tas Number Of licenses now in force in such cities and
the fact is established OF the cities OF the state dhre
Of licenses therein Is greater in proportion to the popnla
ton than the city OF New York. and in all but ono OK
them the Is greater In proportion TO the popaia-
ton than in the city OF Brooklyn II Is thus apparent
that there Is less necessity for legislative interference
with or legislative discrimination against the cities Of
NewYork and Brooklyn than for almost any other part
OF the State
The Governor then gives table to show that out
of the twenty-seven cities III the State twenty have
greater number of licenses in force proportion to
their population than New-York and twcnty-hvea .
greater number than Brooklyn According to this
table New-York has 1927 licenses per 1000 popu-
latiou and Brooklyn 5.32, while jamestown has
332 The ratio in other cities ranges from 5.33 IN
Watertown to 13 rs in Buffalo. In % villages and
towns named tue ratio ranges from SO in WAIKIKI
to TO- 76 in Oean The message continues:
Those who voted for the passage OF this bill IN tho
Legislature must acted IN ignorance OF these faetss
or else i'm the desire their part IN re-
lioyc New-York aud Brooklyn from the evils arising
from great number OF licensed places thereiu must